How Replay FX ReachesNew Levels in Gaming

Providing fans and master gamers with the opportunity to experience pinball, video games, music, and family-style fun all under one roof, Replay Foundation Expo (Replay FX) takes the world of gaming to a whole new level. For four action-packed days, fans enjoy thousands of their favorite classic and next-generation games, test their skills, and battle for the title of ultimate champion during the Pinburgh Match-Play Championship!

Replay FX is owned and operated by the Replay Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of pinball technology. Under the brand name Professional & Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA), the Replay Foundation operates and supports pinball competitions worldwide, the most notable of which being the Pinburgh tournament. As Pinburgh grew to become the largest pinball tournament in existence, the Replay Foundation wanted to continue to expand their annual event by opening it up to other types of gaming, and thus Replay FX was born.

Today, Replay FX welcomes thousands of gamers annually and hosts the largest public collection of working pinball, arcade, tabletop, and console games in the world. “We designed Replay FX to take our fans to the next level of gaming, and to introduce the next generation of gamers to what entertained us in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s,” said Mark Steinman, Director of Replay FX.

Challenges Begin to Hinder Gameplay

The swift growth of Replay FX into a full-fledged retro gaming convention did not come without its challenges. The event’s first year in Pittsburgh’s expansive David L. Lawrence Convention Center brought to light several fundamental issues with their previous ticketing partner. Replay FX needed a partner that would be responsive to inquiries and willing to solve complex issues. Unfortunately, they soon realized that not all ticketing partners are willing or able to provide such solutions.

“We work with ShowClix because they help us put on better events. They have the features and services we need to take Replay FX to new heights.”

- Mark Steinman, Director of Replay FX

Lagging Support

The Replay FX team’s requests for assistance with everything from event set-up to system errors went unanswered by their previous ticketing partner. When it came to setting up their event’s ticket sales, they were simply out of luck if any unexpected issues popped up. “Whenever I had questions, they just were not very responsive,” Steinman explained. “As system issues began popping up, it basically turned into me wasting hours of my time trying to create workarounds or finding solutions on my own.”

Replay FX was also left to fend for themselves on-site at their event. “If an issue arose at the event, we were basically on our own,” said Steinman. Without easy access to their ticketing partner’s team on-site, they found themselves constantly on edge, and their admission process suffered.

Waitlist Frustrations

Because of the Pinburgh tournament’s massive popularity, reservations for competitor spots had always sold quickly, and as the event continued to grow, the demand for tournament spots became nearly unmanageable for Replay FX. Due to this massive demand, they wanted to provide an easy way for registered Pinburgh competitors to drop out and free up their spots. To do this, they needed a way to effectively manage those waiting for available tournament registrations without scrambling to fill any empty spots during the event. Unfortunately, their previous ticketing partner was unable to remedy the issue. “With the system we used previously, it was always mad chaos the morning of the event, trying to figure out who goes where, who plays what game, and that sort of thing,” Steinman said. “We needed an easier way to sort those details out in advance, but our partner at the time couldn’t be bothered to provide a solution.”

Attendee Data Mismatch

Accurate attendee data is a critical component of ensuring proper tournament play at Replay FX as well as for the box office. “Show day was a huge challenge for us before ShowClix,” Steinman said. “The attendee data within our previous ticketing partner’s box office and presale systems were disjointed in a way that prevented us from quickly determining who had checked in and who had yet to arrive, and couldn’t reliably provide real-time ticket inventories from on-site sales.” Due to the data disconnect, Replay FX struggled to get the Pinburgh tournament gameplay started each morning, and they were forced to spend precious time calculating actual ticket totals during and after the event for reporting purposes.

Hitting the Event Technology Jackpot

In order to continue expanding their event attendance, Replay FX knew they needed an event technology partner capable of working with them to meet their specific needs. They wanted a support team that would provide fast, reliable support, and a system that would allow them to provide the smoothest experience for their devoted attendees. With ShowClix, Steinman found exactly what his event was missing. “Some ticketing companies will just say, ‘here’s our service - good luck,’ but ShowClix wasn’t like that at all. They grew with us, and that’s the kind of partnership that we’re looking for because, in the long run, it’s what’s best for everybody.”

“Whenever we first met with ShowClix and realized the time and effort they were willing to invest in us, it was kind of a no-brainer. We’ve been more than satisfied with the level of service, and haven’t looked back.”

- Mark Steinman, Director of Replay FX

Event Support Wizards

Where Replay FX’s previous ticketing partner fell short in attentiveness and client support, ShowClix proved to be the exact opposite. ShowClix assigned Replay FX a dedicated Client Success Manager who became intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the Replay FX event, and could offer quick, yet thorough answers without delay. The ShowClix Event Operations team was also employed to offer system training, box office management, and ticket fulfillment services on-site at the event. “Whenever we first met with ShowClix and realized the time and effort they were willing to invest in us, it was kind of a no-brainer,” Steinman said. “We’ve been more than satisfied with the level of service, and haven’t looked back.”

Tournament Applications

When it came to their main event, Pinburgh, ShowClix was able to step in with another creative solution. Replay FX made use of ShowClix’s online application form feature to generate a fair and organized waitlist for the Pinburgh tournament. The tournament often sells out within moments of going on sale, however dropouts do happen, freeing up space for new competitors. By tapping into their pre-generated waitlist, and by utilizing their attendee check-in data, the Replay FX team was able to solve their event-day tournament woes. “The fact that I have easy access to this data, and that all of our event data is in one place, is an enormous improvement from our previous system,” Steinman said.

Real-time Data

The ShowClix system’s functionality made it far easier for Replay FX to manage their on-site ticketing activities and data. With live ticket inventories, accurate check-in data, and an integrated box office that offered simple and adaptable on-site functionality, getting attendees squared away and into the event faster had never run more smoothly. “I don’t know if we can necessarily call it an improvement because it’s so much more than that,” Steinman said. “Our old on-site ticketing system was a mess. We simply would not be able to operate at our current level without the functionality we have with ShowClix.”

“Our old on-site ticketing system was a mess. We simply would not be able to operate at our current level without the functionality we have with ShowClix.”

- Mark Steinman, Director of Replay FX

ShowClix Delivers Results

56%

Increase in tickets soldsince switching to ShowClix

62%

Faster Pinburgh tournamentadmissions

40+

Hours of on-sitesupport annually

100%

Visibility into live ticketing data

ShowClix is the Trusted Event Technology Partner

As the video game frontier continues to evolve with new technology, and as nostalgia for classic games gets stronger, Replay FX’s popularity will continue to grow. They will rely on ShowClix to help develop new solutions, offer expert guidance, and power-up their fans’ experiences. As Replay FX asserts itself as an iconic Pittsburgh event, our partnership will be instrumental in celebrating the past, present, and future of gaming.

ShowClix will continue to provide a seamless box office experience, offer responsive and dedicated support, and equip Replay FX with rich features that help them better run their events. “We work with ShowClix because they help us put on better events,” said Steinman. “They have the features and services we need to take Replay FX to new heights.”

“We are very appreciative of ShowClix and the work they have done for us. They take the time to get to know our business and make meaningful suggestions on how we can best utilize their features and services. It’s refreshing to have a partner that is as passionate about our event’s success as we are.”